Tag Archives: Houston jobs

Even as oil prices continue in an unpredictable turn, city leaders in Houston are soldiering on with bold new initiatives aimed for the future of Southeast Texas. In particular with the Houston Airport System, they are aiming high.

On what Mayor Annise Parker called “a great day for the City of Houston”, a new partnership was announced that plans to not only improve air and space travel, but also create a pathway to job training skills for area workers. Spearheaded by Council Member Jerry Davis, the project’s initial goal will be training workers to build the new Terminal at IAH. Here is more information via City of Houston press release…

HOUSTON – The Houston Airport System (HAS) is taking a major step forward in enhancing the levels of both safety and efficiency surrounding the various construction projects taking place at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and Ellington Airport (EFD). A new training center is set to be built at an existing IAH warehouse, designed to enhance the skillset of various employees working on HAS-designated construction projects.

“Continuing education and training are important in just about every professional field but it’s especially vital in the area of construction,” says Houston Mayor Annise Parker. “This new training center will help to ensure that our vital airport facilities are growing in a manner that’s both safe and efficient.”

Under the plan approved by Houston City council members on January 28, 2015, the Houston Area Construction Education Collaborative (HACEC) creates a mutually beneficial partnership between the Houston Airport System and the following institutions of higher learning: Houston Community College (HCC), San Jacinto College and the Lone Star College System.

After constructing the education training center, to be located along Lee Road at IAH, all employees working on HAS-designated construction projects will be required to attend a mandatory training class where OSHA and Houston Airport System safety and security guidelines and requirements are laid out in a detailed fashion. Contractor employees will be given a sense of what it’s like to work in a dynamic airport environment. The center will also be available to those same employees as they look to upgrade their craft skills by receiving training in various construction-related fields.

“It is in the best interest of the Houston Airport System to have a well-educated, highly qualified workforce spearheading our various construction projects,” says Houston Aviation Director Mario C. Diaz. “Whether that person is employed by HAS or a private sector company, they need to have a solid grasp on the skills that are needed to perform their job and that skillset needs to be constantly evolving.”

With a 200,000 student population among the three community colleges, the specialty workforce training center is likely to have an expert pool of talent to choose from. But as was hinted in the press conference, the facility’s usefulness could go much further than a couple of major airport projects. With rapid growth throughout Southeast Texas, this center has the potential to train many new construction workers that would start and the airport system, and take their skills and expertise to other area projects.

“Across the community, we have been discussing the fact the Houston has a booming economy even with lower oil prices.” said Mayor Parker. “There’s a lot of new construction going on, yet we have a gap in the workforce. Contractors are literally cannibalizing each other to get their projects done. At the same time, we have lots of folks across the community who are under-employed or unemployed, and would be perfect to fill in the gap.”

Long a voice for some of Houston’s most under-served communities, Council Member Davis seemed to sum it up best… “We talk about economic development. This is people development.” Programs like this one will hopefully serve to build a bridge for the abundance of young, under-employed workers out there looking for opportunities. If you have an interest in construction work, go and sign up at Houston Community College, San Jacinto College or Lone Star College. The city of Houston is ready to do some ‘people development’.

Houston is a city with an affinity for forward motion, and Mayor Annise Parker’s new initiative is no exception. In an effort to arm Houston job seekers and employers with a new, 21st century way to connect, the Mayor announced the launch of the ‘Tweet My Jobs Houston’ smart phone app. Now job searches can be hyper-localized thanks to the geo-location software of the smart phone app. If the effort is successful, it will help people connect with jobs in their area at an even greater rate of accuracy.

Here is an excerpt from the city’s official press release…

Houston, TX (April 26, 2013) – Mayor Annise D. Parker announced the launch of “TweetMyJobs Houston!” during today’s State of the City address. This new online jobs platform, powered by TweetMyJobs, revolutionizes recruitment by incorporating mobile and social media. “TweetMyJobs Houston!” is the connective thread that will distribute jobs throughout the greater Houston area and match qualified job seekers with employers. It will also produce hyper-local analytics to help facilitate executive decisions by government and business entities thereby enhancing and fostering future job growth in the Houston metro area.

“Houston is the biggest economic success story in America, however; as you know, the best can always get better,” said Mayor Parker. “That is why I’m launching ‘TweetMyJobs Houston!’ a free, interactive jobs initiative geared to match qualified job seekers with thriving Houston businesses.” The public-private partnership model is a solution for many small to mid-size businesses with limited recruitment budgets as well as recent college-graduates from our booming higher education communities that now need jobs.

By adopting the TweetMyJobs platform, Houstonians will have access to relevant opportunities instantly and directly. Houston based employers will be able to reach quality candidates in a fast, efficient and affordable way. “TweetMyJobs Houston!” includes more than 150,000 jobs in all industries at all levels of employment, from entry level to C-Suite positions in the Houston metro area. The platform is not limited to specific demographics, in fact, “TweetMyJobs Houston!” is a tool for all Houstonians.

Available at www.Houston.TweetMyJobs.com or at the App Store for your mobile device, getting started is as fast and easy as pushing a button to find jobs. Likewise, employers can instantly distribute their job listings to every corner of the digital landscape. “TweetMyJobs Houston!” leverages social media to drive local employment solutions. Job seekers can choose to receive job notifications “pushed” to them via text message on their phone, email or through social media networks like Twitter. The platform is also integrated with Facebook so that job seekers can easily see if any of their friends are connected with the hiring company. Through the site seekers can request a referral from their friend to the hiring company, making their chances of getting the job 20 times higher.